Optimism about others’ trustworthiness is self-reinforcing through gained experience

Evidence

Trust is often achieved simply by the continuity of the relation between parties and the recognition by each that what he might gain by cheating in a given instance is outweighed by the value of the tradition of trust that makes possible a long sequence of future agreement. By the same token, “trust” may be achieved for a single discontinuous instance, if it can be divided into a succession of increments. — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 311 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Trust is inductively corrigible by objective experience; Trustworthiness beliefs are updated through a Bayesian-style learning process.; Low-trust people test fewer interactions, so experience extends their disadvantage (+9 more)

Related

• Trustworthiness persists only while future gains from the relationship outweigh defection (similarity 0.88)
• Repeated-interaction gains let trust outweigh distrust despite occasional great losses (similarity 0.88)
• Confidence is a self-fulfilling virtuous spiral unlike superstitious hope (similarity 0.87)
• Trustworthiness begets trust via reputation and repeated dealings (similarity 0.86)
• Individual-level rational-choice accounts of trust fail as general explanations (similarity 0.86)
• Trustworthiness beliefs are updated through a Bayesian-style learning process. (similarity 0.86)
• Suspicion of others’ trustworthiness is inherently well grounded (similarity 0.85)
• Repeated interaction transforms the incentives of a one-way trust game (similarity 0.85)
• Trust is encapsulated interest achievable through many incentive mechanisms (similarity 0.85)
• Trust only arises where opportunistic behavior is genuinely possible (similarity 0.84)
• Another’s reaction to one’s action confirms the validity of prior experience (similarity 0.84)
• Distrust is self-reinforcing because it selects for untrustworthy partners (similarity 0.84)
• Failed trust is answered with still more trust, not less. (similarity 0.84)
• Trust requires time for repeated interactions and is a cognitive capacity (similarity 0.84)
• Misplaced trust costs far more than forgone trust, making distrust come more quickly (similarity 0.84)

Broader Connections

• Acting trustingly toward others can itself induce their trustworthiness #expands (0.88)
• Distrust is self-fulfilling and cannot be invalidated by experience #expands (0.85)
• Repeated-interaction gains let trust outweigh distrust despite occasional great losses #corroborates (0.82) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 311